In a report to the House of Commons today on the recent wave of attacks on synagogues, Home Secretary Sir Frank Soskice said that since last September 1 there have been five incidents of arson and four of attempted arson at synagogues, one case of arson at the home of a Jewish family as well as 58 cases of “lesser offenses such as slogan daubing and fly posting.”
The Home Secretary reported on the anti-Jewish incidents in reply to a query by Quinton Hogg, M.P., who asked the Government how many cases had resulted in police action and whether Sir Frank was satisfied that adequate measures are being taken for the protection of synagogues.
Sir Frank said that last March, a youth was fined three pounds for possessing an offensive weapon and another man had been arrested in connection with an arson attempt on a synagogue. “The police are in close touch with the Jewish religious authorities and are paying special attention to synagogues throughout the London police district,” he declared.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
